


The Beauty of All Life

by machtaholic (cinderella81)



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Episode: s03e05 A Life in the Day, Episode: s04e05 Escape From the Happy Place, Episode: s04e12 The Secret Sea, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 22:22:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18433289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderella81/pseuds/machtaholic
Summary: A re-working of the scene from "The Secret Sea" where Quentin has to make the flower grow.





	The Beauty of All Life

“I loved Fillory as a child. Fuck, I even loved Fillory when I fucking found Fillory.” Quentin ran a frustrated hand through his hair and paced the little grotto as he looked at the little plant that apparently only he could make bloom. The plant that could help them save everything.

“Then somewhere along the way … I hated Fillory,” Quentin continued, not even caring if Penny!23 or Alice or even Plover could hear him. “I mean, Fillory is real! That should be awesome. And for a while it was … and then it wasn’t.“

Quentin continued to pace, rubbing his face. He finally plopped down on the ground and stared at the plant silently for a few minutes.

“Fillory took things from me. Things I didn’t know I had until they were ripped from me.”

Quentin closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to block out everything around him. Desperately tried to remember something about Fillory that he still loved.

“But then Fillory gave me something I never thought I’d have,” Quentin whispered, eyes still closed as memories played behind his eyelids. Memories he’d almost forgotten.

“Fillory gave me Arielle. Fillory gave me Rupert. A family. Fillory gave me Eliot.”

Quentin only barely managed to bite back the sob that threatened to burst forth as memories of recent events almost eclipsed the memories of the Mosaic.

“The beauty of all life.”

Quentin smiled to himself as he remembered his family. Remembered the first year of just him and Eliot. Remembered Arielle and the awkward flirtation that followed. Remembered Eliot’s playful teasing.

Quentin allowed the memories of him and Arielle. Of Rupert - his first words, first steps, playing with the Mosaic tiles on days when Eliot and Q were all puzzled out.

“Fillory gave me a wife, a child, grandchildren … Fillory gave me love.”

Quentin took a deep breath as he delved deeper into his memories, remembering the years that followed Arielle’s passing. First the deep depression that left the Mosaic untouched for years, then hesitant steps towards healing. Then … 

Eliot.

Always Eliot. The rock that Q had leaned on. The one who had taken care of Rupert when Q had been so locked in loss that he couldn’t even keep track of himself, much less their son. The one who lifted Q up, kept him going.

“Fillory gave me peaches and plums. Fillory gave me proof of concept.”

Quentin slowly opened his eyes and stared at the plant, watching as it slowly started to bloom.

“Guys!” he called. “Guys! Something’s happening!”

As the flower bloomed, the grotto filled with the scent of peaches and plums and Quentin smiled - maybe there was hope after all.


End file.
